Plating a dirt bike... Summary and few final questions.

I had a few final questions regarding plating a dirt bike. I'll put them in post #2.

I thought maybe a summary of the 600+ post thread on the topic might be useful first, as inevitably these threads inevitably come back to life with more questions about the process. This is current to my knowledge as of 11/2011... Let me know if there are any errors, I'll edit this first post.

Plating a dirt bike. Summary:

Have the following documents and forms:

• Colorado DMV DR2686. CERTIFICATE OF EQUIPMENT COMPLIANCE (Make sure you get the latest version, Currently 7/11/11)
• Colorado DMV DR2698 VERIFICATION OF VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
• A Bill of Sale or MSO. It must have the following very specific language.
  • "SELLER(S) CERTIFY UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY THAT THE ABOVE IS TRUE AND CORRECT TO THE BEST OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE." (not required if the document is notarized).
  • "MOTORCYCLE IS FOR OFF ROAD USE ONLY". If it doesn't have this language, you are going to probably have to go back to the seller and have them sign a new document.
  • It must of course also be signed, dated, have the vehicle purchase price, mileage (put unknown if no odo) and VIN.

Add equipment as required in DR2686. In particular:

• Headlight (there is no specific hi/lo requirement)
• Taillight
• Brake light
• Mirror
• Horn (cheap battery powered or squeeze horn usually works)
• DOT tires (stamped on the sidewall)
• Side reflectors (This requirement is deleted in the latest 07/11/11 version of DR2686)
• No turn signals needed.

Go to the State Patrol:

• Make Appointment with a Colorado State Patrol Certified Vin Inspector. Bring the following to your appointment:
  • Motorcycle for inspection
  • DR2686 (though they should have this)
  • DR2698 (they have been reported to sometimes NOT have this)
  • Bill of sale (though I don't it is needed for the state patrol)
• Get the trooper to sign your DR2686, DR2698.

Now for the really fun part...
Go to the DMV:

• Bring the following documents:
  • Signed DR2686
  • Signed DR2698
  • Bill of sale
  • Proof of insurance (unless purchased less than 30 days ago, and you have proof of insurance on another vehicle.)
  • You do not need the motorcycle..
  • ID
• Wait forever at DMV, and hope that you get a worker with a clue.
• Fork over a bunch of money for registration, plates, and sales tax. Bring a check, in case their credit card system is broken. Again.
• Go home with your plates.

Finally,

• Wheelie down the road with impunity. Not.
• Realize that cops often don't have a clue might argue with you that your bike is legal.
• Colorado has evidently changed the rules about off road use, and now require an OHV Sticker even for plated bikes?

OK... hope that summary will be helpful for future questions on the topic.

Now for my fairly simple questions!

1. I have no intention of keeping a horn on the bike after inspection, and don't really want to hard wire a horn. I know in the past, people just used squeeze-bulb horns, but I'd hate to go to the inspection and not pass due to a squeezie horn.

• Anybody pass recently with a squeezie horn?
• What's the cheapest/best-est/easiest-to-mount non squeezie bulb horn out there? Maybe even a link to place to buy it?
• Anybody have simple to mount, inspection proven horn I can borrow for the inspection?

2. I could easily go to State Patrol inspectors at a variety of locations. Any experiences on which ones are easy to deal with, or which to avoid?

In particular:

Colorado State Patrol Academy
303.239.4545
15203 W. 12th Avenue
Golden, CO 80401

Colorado State Patrol Boulder County
303.469.1966
7701 W. 120th Avenue
Broomfield, CO 80020

Colorado State Patrol Adams County
303.289.4760
8200 N. Hwy 85
Commerce City, CO 80022​

Also, the CSP web site is now listing several police departments as "Certified VIN Inspectors, including:

Glendale Police Department
303.639.4330
950 S. Birch Street
Glendale, CO 8246
By Appointment Only

Golden Police Department
303.384.8045
911 10th Street
Golden, CO 80401
Wednesday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
By Appointment Only

Northglenn Police Department
303.450.8853
11701 Community Center Drive
Northglenn, CO 80233
Residents Only - By Appointment Only

Westminster Police Department
303.658.4727
9110 Yates Street
Westminster, CO 80031
By Appointment Only​

When I went thu the state patrol inspection the first time, they would not accept the sqweeze bulb horn. He told me to install, on the handlebar, a small air-horn that you can buy cheap at wal-mart (his words). He said to use a large hose clamp to attach it to the handlebars. When I took the bike back, he looked at it and passed the bike. Did not even try the horn. I took the air horn off when I got home. 2 years ago.

Paul,

There is a kit from Sicass Racing specifically for your new bike (bastard).

http://sicassracing.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=105_19_20&products_id=32

A little pricey, but it's everything you need and nothing you don't. All plug-n-play. The horn fits neatly behind the headlight shroud.

I have this kit on my 530, and I'd buy it again. It's easy and it works.

Also, don't be so quick to get rid of your horn. Nice to have in town, but even better when one of your buddies is in front of you struggling with technical terrain. BEEP!

When I went to the CSP in Castlerock I was told that my 11 character VIN wouldn't work on my 1999 Honda. I was instructed to, and did, go through the process to get a Colorado issued VIN. Not a total pain, but .... well, kind of a pain. Anyway. I had to go to the Camp George West location (Golden?) to get it installed. The officer who installed it took a look at the bike and asked why I went through all that effort? I explained. He handed me the Colorado VIN plate. Guess what? 11 characters. Oh well.

Next time I'll just go straight to the guys at Camp George West.

When I converted my bike this summer I put a cheap $5.00 horn I bought on Ebay. Runs on a AAA battery and it passed just fine.

I know Sicass (how the hell to you pronounce that name anyway?) makes good stuff... But my bike already has a headlight & taillight. Just picked up an Enduro Engineering brake switch that is completely plug-and-play, so all I really need is a horn.

I ended up buying a simple 12V horn at fay meyers, $7. I'll probably run it to the headlight switch, then interrupt the ground with a kill switch.

Though a mini Air-horn zip tied to the bars sounds good!

How bout this....



I used a squeze horn @ the C. Springs location of the State Patrol.
They squezed it and laughed. I guess it just who you get as to what is acceptable.

Cool new bike!

Your post 1 sums things up very well.

I just went through this with my new bike and the CSP Officer was very impressed with my setup. Said it was one of the best he had seen.

Most of it was from Paul at www.highwaydirtbikes.com here in the Rockies.

I have his horn and several of his switches. I too was planning to ditch the horn right away, but now I like it and will keep it. It is always nice to get others attention on the trail in wrong turn situations...etc.

The HDB handguard and mirror system can not be beat.

Thanks for the great, up to date, information. Sums up exactly what i was looking for

What did you do for reflectors? I was thinking I'd put on some self-adhesive cheap reflectors in the front, and temporarily mount one of the many license plate bracket side reflector dohickeys that I've pulled off of countless from-the-factory street legal bikes.

Anybody get away with 3M reflective tape during an inspection?

This is an example of the kind of license reflector bracket I'm talking about (ripped off from some random thread in Thumpers). Obviously I'm not going to leave a monstrosity like that on the bike after inspection!

Side reflectors are not a requirement. I had none and they do not show up on the compliance paperwork checklist.

Back in February when I had the inspection on my YZ, the compliance list did include reflectors. I used the stick-on type from the auto parts store and passed inspection but the inspector did get a little picky about them. He mentioned they should be facing rear and forward, and not on the sides of the bike. "Just like a car", I remember him saying. I passed, and I'm sure this is all dependent on who is doing the inspection so your mileage may vary!

I've done 3 bikes (about to do my 4th) here in colorado springs without any hassle.

I've always used the cheapo self adhesive reflectors from wally world.

Looks like I had an older version of DR2686! The 04/09/09 version had language requiring reflectors that is absent in the latest 07/11/11 version. Updated the first post with the correct info.

Cool!

Quick update...

My six-days came with a headlight (not high/low), taillight, and was pre-wired for a brake light.

I added Ned's Doubletake Mirror (~$25), An Enduro Engineering plug-and-play brake switch ($40), and a Workman 9V battery operated Mega Horn ($15).

Called this morning at 7:15 AM, got an appointment at 1:30. Nice guy at the Glendale police department. I never even took the bike off the bumper hitch... Fired it up on the hitch, showed him the tail light, brake light, mirror and horn, he checked the vin, and I was done in about two minutes. Said if it was o.k. with me, to stop by in an hour or so and he would have all the documentation typed up rather than wait.

By the way, he said a squeezy horn is fine, but your mileage might vary, and as Toddler said earlier, he neither asked about or looked for any reflectors.

Now I need to go to the MVD, but no way I'm heading over there in the afternoon on the first day of the month :eek1

My appointment was 2 weeks out and you got the same day. They need to cut the force down south as they clearly have too much time on their hands

Did they check you for DOT tires?

As we were walking out to the bike, he asked me if I had DOT tires... But he never actually looked. I had Pirelli MT-43 (Trials) rear and Pirelli Scorpion XC front, which both are DOT rated.

Final update for anyone following this thread...

Went to MVD today with the correct paperwork (see post #1), walked out with a plate and registration. Title will be mailed to me in a few weeks. No hassles, but she DID check that the bill of sale said "under penalty of perjury" and "for off-road use only".

Apart from the horrendous wait at motor vehicles, process was without any surprises and pretty easy, and I now have a titled/plated 2010 KTM 450 XC-W Six-days.

This bike was particularly easy to get through the process, as it comes from KTM with a headlight, tail light, pre-wired for brake light (just add plug-and-play switch).

The ONLY bummer is that you don't have to pay tax if you buy a used off-road bike from a private party, but when you go to register it, they WILL collect their sales tax. And ownership tax. And registration fees. And make you wait forever for the privilege!

My title just showed up today for my bike. So that took about 4 weeks.

The DMV in Loveland took me about 1.5 hours. I was planning to go to Estes and get it done, which would have been under 10 minutes easy, but I was near Loveland at the time coming back from the inspection.